I waited to post to this till I was sitting at the computer. LOL Way easier to reply on a regular keyboard.
I can certainly understand all of your concerns. I read the other responses saying Christmas may be too hectic of time to have a new puppy, but it could also make for a very special Christmas memory.
We've always had pets, but right now it would seem we have them coming out of our ears, but I wouldn't change it. When Noah was 4 my MIL gave him Samantha, a 2 yr old black Labrador who was the pet of an elderly patient of hers who needed to move to assisted living. She needed to re-home Sammie, and Sammie came to be Noah's best friend. We had Sammie till Christmas of 2008. She had developed a growth on her paw. We had it removed, told it was nothing. Two weeks later it became full blown leukemia. Sammie passed away three days after Christmas. I didn't think Noah would want another dog for quite some time, nor did he.
In February of 2009 my SIL took her dog to the groomers and called me to say they had a litter of black lab puppies they were selling there. She knew how sad Noah had been so didn't know if it was too soon, but thought she'd let us know. We were there about an hour later, because Noah's face lit up and said he really thought it would help to not hurt so much. Uh yeah, so what are you supposed to say to that? Get in the car. Another hour later we had Rossi, a 6 week old black lab puppy.
In March of 2011 we took in Jake, a then 3 year old Catahoula. He was our close friends' dog, they moved and couldn't take him with them to their temp apartment. The plan was he would stay with us for 3 months and then be returned. About two weeks after bringing him in I took him to get his vaccinations and found out he had a terrible infestation of heart worms. I was told he wouldn't live the year. I told this to our friend and he and his wife decided to let Jake stay with us, thinking their young children didn't need to watch him die. I did an aggressive homeopathic schedule for six months. At the end Jake tested negative for heart worms and was incredibly healthy with I'd say 75% return to activity level. He's still with us today.
Rossi had been the center of the universe till Jake came. It took her about three days, but she warmed up to him quickly and he became her best friend. She still had "her" spot and things that she didn't like to share, but they merged together well for our new family.
March of 2012 brought us Laila. A little Tabby kitten who was found in the back of a worker's truck who was redoing our kitchen floor. She was about 4 weeks old. I tried to find a home for her, but no one wanted her. She was my first cat ever. Now, I can't imagine this house without her. Rossi thought she was a chase toy for the first two weeks. Jake had always been around cats so he basically ignored her. Once Rossi learned that the kitty is NOT a squeaky toy, they were good friends.
July of 2012, we're driving down the road and I point out the rat running down the road in the dark. "Good grief! Look at the size of its ears! What's wrong with that thing? It's a rat isn't it? What is that??" Pull over and it's a Chiweenie. Yes I'm serious, a Chiweenie. What's a Chiweenie you ask? Also called a Doxihauhau, it's a breeders cross between a Chihauhau and a Daschund. Got out of the truck and this tiny thing came bounding to me and jumped in my arms. I asked the neighbors but no one knew who she belonged to. Ads up everywhere, posters, had her checked for a chip - nothing. No one ever claimed her. During our search for owners, I wouldn't let anyone name her so she wouldn't feel like ours. We called her Mrs. Chiweenie. Today, she feels like ours, she's still here and sadly - her name is still Mrs. Chiweenie, because she answers to it. *headdesk* Tried to home her, no one wanted her, hearing the most often, "She's just odd looking." To which I feel - Well yeah, she is, but so are you and we let you stay.
At this point Rossi just looked at us in disbelief. Really? Really?? Another one? Okay, but she's NOT sharing my dish OR my spot on the couch! And the boy - he's still mine. A week later and she was letting Chi sleep against her.
Jake accepts everyone, all the time so no problems there and Laila - ROFL The cat (then kitten) and Chiweenie wore each other out play wrestling and chasing. It looked like a 24 hour Jiu Jitsu match all the time.
In November of 2012, Rossi was in heat (we hadn't had her spayed, because we had considered one litter, just because she's so beautiful and a great dog, but wanted to wait till she was 3 to make sure her adult temperment would make a good mother). Well - walking on the leash, stray dog on our property, she lunged, leash snapped, she chased, but ended up being the one who got caught. January 2 of this year, she had 12... TWELVE puppies. 12 hours after birthing the last one, something was terribly, terribly wrong. Rushed her to the vet where they didn't think she would live the weekend. Back home with bottles and formula for the puppies. Over the course of 48 hours, we lost 11 of the puppies due to being premature. Vet said 12 was too many for Rossi's body to handle. The 12th and last puppy born was the biggest of all of them and the one my husband had to help Rossi birth. He was the one that survived. When I found out she was pregnant I called a local Labrador rescue group to home the puppies. After bottle feeding and all that - my husband said there was no way that little guy was going anywhere. So - Moose stayed. Yes, Moose.
Moose is now the biggest of all the dogs at 11 months old. He is the happiest, most laid back, big-headed, gorgeous woolly mammoth I've ever seen. And yes Rossi is spayed, because she's just not built for it and it would be selfish to put her through that again.
Rossi is his mother so she just accepted him completely and continues to. Jake was different a bit, because as Moose grew, it was another male dog. Even though Jake is neutered, it was still a bit territorial, but he got over it quickly and now, they are the perfect playmates, because their sizes are similar. Jake has never had another dog his size to really play with. Chiweenie, LOL she was his surrogate mother when Rossi was at the vets for that week. When she had to surrender her mothering duties back to Rossi she looked so sad. Now she and Moose are best buddies and always pal around together which is hilarious because she's SOOO tiny compared to him.
Three weeks ago, Noah was outside working on his car when he heard a strange noise. He thought it was a bird at first. Went looking, and two doors down at the church in a giant oak tree he sees a kitten about 20' feet up. I walked outside to see where he was, see him down the street and yell out, "What are you doing??" He put one finger up, looked panicked, jogged back and forth a bit, then dove like a baseball player and catches this tiny thing falling from the sky/tree before it hit the ground. Came running back with it. Next day we went to the vet with it, no chip, no neighbors claimed it, vet said about 5 weeks old. Dewormed him and then asked me if I was adding to the menagerie. ROFL I said I thought I needed a giraffe to qualify.
I had ads out for him, but no one called for him and the shelters around here are not no-kill. Not going there. My husband said, "I'm pretty sure when God drops it from the sky into your hands, you're required to keep it." ROFL Laila had the hardest time with that one, because she'd always been the only cat, the princess. Last week she really warmed up to him and now checks on him, plays and chases and is very involved with him.
So my big adventure this Christmas will be seeing how this now 2 month old kitten handles the Christmas tree. Our coffee table is directly across from the tree, with maybe 3' of clearance. I got the tree set up, though not yet decorated. He played/attacked the bottom branches. Then jumped to the couch, to the coffee table, wiggled his little butt into pounce position and then propelled himself with the great courageous force of three full grown lions, paws splayed, a wild look in his eye, and then quietly disappeared into the green of the branches. It looked like the tree swallowed him. There was nothing, just the quiet rustling of the gentle bouncing branches and needles. I felt badly for him - it looked so majestic, triumphant and brave - to end so quietly and anticlimactic. I just looked away. I didn't want to embarrass him as the tree spit him out at the bottom, below it's wide spreading base. He jumped to his feet and walked off with attitude, "I totally meant for that to happen like that! No, seriously! I really did! Shut up Moose."
So I typed all of this - if you're still reading LOL - to say that I've had dogs up there in years adjust extremely well to a new addition of a puppy or active young dog. We've been in many situations with our furry friends and in most cases the animals adjust much faster and easier than we do.
Just remember that with dogs and cats too, the more anxious you are, they read it and respond in kind. If you're tense, they'll be as well. It may take a bit of time for Buster to adjust to the new puppy whether you do it now or later, but from my experience usually the new friend gives them a second wind. If the puppy gets too rough with him, reprimand the puppy and reset the game so-to-speak. Give the puppy something else to do or play with to give Buster a break. Not much different than when toddlers expect a piggy back ride from great grandpa.
And while I do understand that getting a puppy at Christmas could be hectic, it could also be wonderful and good opportunity for her to learn socialization skills and manners with many people coming around to celebrate. I don't know how you feel about crate training, but I find it very useful in those situations. It can also be her safe place when there are too many people, but she can still be in the room.
Would I bite the bullet? Yes. I would. Life is life and I think you should fill it with as much joy as possible. What's better than new life? Takes adjusting, but it's all good in the end. I'm sure you'll make the right decision for your family at this time.
Disclaimer: The writings here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Heather's (graywolf70) husband Bud who is good hearted and pretty much goes with the flow of her four-footed soft-spots and tolerates her lunacy in exchange for her sweet potato pie, fried chicken and grilled salmon.
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